Worker reprimanded for gassy issue

A federal worker was repreminded after co-workers complained of his daily flatulences. Apparently he had about 60 incidents in a 3 months period, or about 9 per day. The average person supposedly passes gas 14 times per day, so he wasn't out of the normal range, but the smell from his gas really bothered the co-workers around him and created a 'hostile' working environment.

Several of the employee's coworkers in the "module," or work area, had complained to management about the smell. A supervisor, Deputy Division Director and a Module Manager all spoke with the employee on separate occasions about his need to control his flatulence.

"You said that you would try to pass gas and that you would turn your fan on when it happens," the Module Manager wrote of a discussion that took place on May 18, 2012. "I explained to you that turning on the fan would cause the smell to spread and worsen the air quality in the module."

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Well he should've turn the fan in the direction away from his co-workers. Duh!

I feel bad for the guy if he has an uncontrollable condition. From the article it doesn't look like he has a valid excuse, or he didn't try very hard to control it though. He should at least alter his diet, ie no eggs, dairy, ..., to reduce or eliminate the smell at least.

Hmm, is it THAT hard to hold in a fart until you can get to the restroom or in an isolated place? Or to figure out what foods make you gassy and avoid them? Sure it could be some sort of medical condition, but not very bloody likely. It's like a coworker who comes in with severe BO. Figure out how not to smell so badly, or just always have a can of Febreze on your desk. I personally feel much more badly for those with severe BO, because it usually isn't a hygeine thing, but a food or natural thing like overactive sweat glands. Someone can hold in a fart (I wouldn't know because I've never farted before.... hehe). It just seems like someone is being passive aggressive and disrespectful. Oh my. Those poor coworkers. And I'm LOL thinking of the next worker's 'disability' as defined by the AWDA: "Uncontrollable menacing farting in front of your coworkers". Not buying this one. I'd have to see one hell of a doc's note saying "Due to a depressingly sloppy and loose anal sphincter, my patient cannot abide by even one half of one pound of pressure in his lower intestines, which will cause him to fart uncontrollably...". Really not getting this one. Is this now going to be a disability??? There has to be more to this.

You can't always hold it in. Sometimes the pressure to release is so great that it makes it extremely uncomfortable not to just do it, otherwise it builds up inside the gut and leads to very uncomfortable bloating; The gas has to go somewhere !

I agree that the farting worker should've stepped out into the hallway or make a bathroom break every time he has to do it, especially when there's an odor issue, althought it would look odd to be getting up so often daily from his cube; Still, it would've been better than subjecting the other co-workers to the smell.

I think it's possible to have some sort of irritable bowl syndrome that causes excessive farting.

Passing gas that often is abnormal. It definitely sounds like a medical problem, possibly a serious one. And if it's a medical problem, it can be very hard to hold it in. The employee was irresponsible for not getting it examined. He's a federal employee, so chances are he has health coverage.

Are employers allowed to require workers to get a medical examination if their symptoms cause concern in the workplace?

I knew someone (via online, not a personal friend) who had a medical issue where if he ate certain foods, he'd have peeling-paint-off-the-wall farts. He refused not to eat these foods and eventually got fired.

I feel for people who have medical issues that cause them to have more gas and smellier gas than normal but I think you also have to take responsibility for your own health and actions. Many times gas can be controlled via diet and I think someone with frequent, smelly farts owes it to the people around him to figure out what their triggers are. I know that's the approach I take and I don't even have a particular problem. I just don't like to be gassy in public, if I can at all help it.

Before I learned out products like these, I was more sympathetic to the farters because I figured it must be something they just can't do anything about, but now I realize they do have some recourse even if they have a really bad issue.

MacMadame your coworker was actually fired for excess gas? What excuse for the termination was given to this person?
The original person mentioned in the article sounds like he has a mental thing about just doing it and putting the fan on (& not trying to cover odor with spray/drops), and a physical thing that lets him have that much gas explosion.
I don't know what the docs would do for him other than a diet change, but who can verify if he really made those changes or didn't but is just saying the diet did not help.
When you get older it can be almost impossible to even know you have a gas attack coming on let alone stop it. (Not saying that is the SSA worker's case).

His reprimand was rescinded though, right? I thought when senior managers reviewed the file, the employee was cleared to go back to work. That must be frustrating for the coworkers. I bet if the senior managers had to spend a few days with this employee, they would have been more creative than just rescinding the reprimand.

His reprimand was rescinded though, right? I thought when senior managers reviewed the file, the employee was cleared to go back to work. That must be frustrating for the coworkers. bet if the senior managers had to spend a few days with this employee, they would have been more creative than just rescinding the reprimand.

I'm not so sure it's that easy to fire someone for farting, especially a federal employee. If indeed it is, I am lobbying for the termination of the woman at work who smells like a freshly opened crypt, routinely shuns both bra and shoes, and the defiant old girls who refuse to stop wearing the noxious funk from Bath and Body works, namely the vomitous Sweat Pea, and the caustic, smells like a body dissolving in quick lime pleasure called Cotton Blossom. One really can't totally control flatulence, but they can certainly chose to wear shoes, support undergarmants, and not douse themselves in cheap perfumes. Give me a farter over noxious perfumes, advanced periodontal disease mixed in with stale smoke and foot fungus any day

I think the guy who would play the farter in a made for TV movie would come down to the rotund guy from King of Queens, or Jim Belushi. .

I'm not so sure it's that easy to fire someone for farting, especially a federal employee. If indeed it is, I am lobbying for the termination of the woman at work who smells like a freshly opened crypt, routinely shuns both bra and shoes, and the defiant old girls who refuse to stop wearing the noxious funk from Bath and Body works, namely the vomitous Sweat Pea, and the caustic, smells like a body dissolving in quick lime pleasure called Cotton Blossom. One really can't totally control flatulence, but they can certainly chose to wear shoes, support undergarmants, and not douse themselves in cheap perfumes. Give me a farter over noxious perfumes, advanced periodontal disease mixed in with stale smoke and foot fungus any day

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It's not just the farting; It's the smell that is causing the "hostile" working environment for his co-workers. No one would care if all he did was silent, non-smelly farts.

The reprimand was rescind, so my bet is that he was moved to his own area/office away from the others. I guess this would be a good excuse for his boss to let him work remotely from home.

I'm not so sure it's that easy to fire someone for farting, especially a federal employee. If indeed it is, I am lobbying for the termination of the woman at work who smells like a freshly opened crypt, routinely shuns both bra and shoes, and the defiant old girls who refuse to stop wearing the noxious funk from Bath and Body works, namely the vomitous Sweat Pea, and the caustic, smells like a body dissolving in quick lime pleasure called Cotton Blossom. One really can't totally control flatulence, but they can certainly chose to wear shoes, support undergarmants, and not douse themselves in cheap perfumes. Give me a farter over noxious perfumes, advanced periodontal disease mixed in with stale smoke and foot fungus any day

I think the guy who would play the farter in a made for TV movie would come down to the rotund guy from King of Queens, or Jim Belushi. .